Balanced key for organs, pianos, &amp;c.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

R. RANKIN. BALANCED KEY FOR ORGANS, PIANOS, &c.

AYPLIGATIQH FILED KAY B. 1906.

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O Q N a r a m n a A W a c No. 866,066. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 19.07. R. RANKIN.

BALANCED KEY FOR ORGANS, PIANOS, &c. APPLICATION nun min. 1906.

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UNITED STATES P ATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RANKIN, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT, READ & COMPANY, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 8, 1906. Serial No. 315.796.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT RANKIN, of the town of Deep River, county of Middlesex, and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements 5 in Balanced Keys for Organs, Pianos, and Similar Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in which Figure 1 represents a top view of a number of keys embodying the invention, Fig. 2, a similar view of some of the crooked keys n car the end of the keyboard, Fig. 3, a side elevation of the keys shown in Fig. 1, F ig. t, an enlarged transverse vertical section on line lf of Fi I Fi 5 an enlar ed loiwitudinal vertical section :3 7 D 7 D D like parts.

This invention relates to balanced keys for organs, pianos and similar instruments, and more particularly to the. construction of the balance pin and associated parts. In keys of this character, it is usual to mount a round pin on a balance rail, which pin projects up through the key into a slot of the button on the top of the key. On either side of the slot of the button are usually felt strips. A difficulty has existed in the construction of keys of this character because the width of the slot for the pin has materially weakened the button which is made of wood, particularly in the case of the crooked keys near the end of the keyboard, in which the necessity of constructing the slot at an angle to the plane of the button is apt to break the wood of which the button is formed. Furthermore, the felt lining in the slots eventually becomes worn, or the slot becomes wider from any cause, and the key thereupon is capa-- ble of lateral play on the balance pin, to correct which new buttons or a relining of the old buttons have heretofore been necessary.

By the novel construction of the balance pin of the present invention, the width of the slot of the button may be materially reduced and the wear taken up, so that these objections are obviated.

To this end, the invention consists of the various improvements and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description, the parts designated by the letter A represent a cross slat 13, the balance rail, and C, D, E and F keys mounted thereon. In each of the keys is a slot G, the sides of which are beveled outward toward the top, so that the slot is considerably wider longitudinally at its upper end than at its lower, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Over the portion of the key in which the slot G is located, a button II of wood is secured to the top of the key. The button H is provided with a longitudinal narrow slot I, the sides of which are usually previded with felt lining J. In the balance rail B is mounted an upright round balance pin K, which is adapted to project into the slots G and I. The upper end of the pin I is by my invention reduced in its diameter in one direction, so that it is considerably wider in one direction than in the other (as shown more particularly in et, 5, 6 and 7), and this reduced end L is adapted to project into the narrow slot I of the button II.

By reducing the width of the portion of the balance pin K, which fits in the slot I, the slot may be considerably narrower than the slot G in the key, as the portion of the pin which projects into the solt I is so much narrower than the main body of the pin which fits into the slot G. In this way, the slot I may be reduced so much in width, that (as shown more particularly in Fig. 2), it will not tend to weaken the buttons, particularly in those keys near the end of the keyboard, wherein the slots extend at an angle to the plane of the buttons. Furthermore, when the felt lining J of the slot I becomes worn, the pin K may be turned in its seat in the balance rail 13, so that the plane oi the reduced portion L of the pin will, instead of being parallel with the sides of the slot I, extend at an angle thereto. This will cause the edges of the reduced portion L to bind against the felt lining and thus compensate for the wear or enlargement in the width of the slot in the button. This advantage is clearly shown in Fig. 6, in which the pin K is shown in three different positions, having been turned to compensate for the wear of the lining .I in the slots I of the buttons on these keys, or for the enlargement of the slots from any other causes.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an organ, piano or similar instrument, the combination with the balance rail of a key board; of an upright balance pin mounted thereon, having its upper end reduced in diameter in one direction; a key having a slot for the reception of said pin wider at the upper end than at the lower; and a button mounted on said key above the wider end of said slot with an elongated narrow slot for the reception of the reduced end of said balance pin, substantiall as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set niy hand on the 3rd day of May, 1006.

ROBERT RANKIN.

Witnesses R. L. SnLDnN, Geo. L. (JnnNny. 

